Peeling machine including endless transversely deformable abrading belts



. C. M. MCDOWELL FEELING MACHINE INCLUDING ENDLESS TRANSVEKSELY Aug. 31, 1948.

DEFORMABLE ABRADING BELTS 3mm- .McDoweH Filed April 19'. 1944 3 ClarmceM Patented Aug. 31, 1948 PEELING MACHINE INCLUDING ENDLESS TRANSVERSELY DEFORMABLE ABRAD- ING BELTS Clarence M. McDowell, Toledo, Ohio Application April 19, 1944, Serial No. 531,833

2 Claims. (01. 14649) peel of citrous fruit as it intermittently moves thereover.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the abradi-ng device other apparatus connected thereto.

Figure 2 is -a cross-section of the abrading device of Figure 1 taken on the line IIII.

Figure 3 is across-section on the line III-III of Figure 2 showing details of the fruit retarding members.

A chute l delivers, in single file order, rollable articles, as oranges or grapefruit 2. The chute l extends to, a iname 3. A power belt 4 drives a shaft 5, having a pulley 6 about which extends a rubber belt I having an abrasive carrying face 8 (Fig. 2). From the drive pulley 6, the belt 1 extends about tightener pulley 9, thence to a pulley l adjacent the chute l. Between the pulleys l0, 6, the belt 4 its upper horizontal reach as its working section I I.

Above the section II is a downwardly open guide way or channel l2, having an intake-directing portion I3, and a release portion l4. Centrally of the underside of the way I2, is a series of -forward-ly and downwardly directed yieldable plungers or holding pins I5. Compression helical springs l6 normally project the pins l to prod or resist rolling action theretoward of the objects or fruit 2. As the plunger l5 retracts into a chamber I1, fluid, as oil, may pass rather freely by a port l8 and past *a, check or one way valve I9 into a reserve chamber or reservoir 20. As the moving belt I with its fruit-engaging abrasive-carrying face 8 pulls or rubs the object 2, there is the delayed or relatively slowed down transit of the object 2, which soon rides clear of the plunger 15, to come into prodding engagemenlt with the succeeding plunger or pin 15. However, the pin I5 as cleared, does not push or ride down the opposite side of the rolling object 2. A port 2| is adjusted by a, needle valve 22 so to regulate the fluid return from the chain ber 26 into the chamber ll, as to lag the action of the spring l'6 sufficiently for the plunger Hi to be in effective prod position for the next article 2 in the trail as carried by the belt I. Counterfiow at the port 2| is minor as to the port I8.

The reach section II is a sort of adjustable cradle. Bar 23 from the frame 3, plivotally mounts lever pairs 24, with spring adjustment 25 for directing pressure pads 26 against the under non-abrasive face of the belt 1. While the intensity of the spring action for holding the pads 26 may be set in conformity to the general dimension of the objects 2 being treated, there is in addition, the automatic give or yield for responding to a range of over-all dimension. Consistently with the desired mode of operation, the resistance is not such as to wear down or flatten a side or the object as exposed to the abrasive 8, but to function as an effective rubbing such as would be in order 'for removal of the skin of a. potato, an apple, or the rind of an orange, but incidental to non-stop rolling of the object 2, The purpose of the pads 26 is to adapt the reach II for properly cradling the objects 2. In order that load on the installation may be minimized, it is desirable that such pads not grab or hold the smooth inner face of the belt I. Peel oil, or water, or some liquid not to attack the belt 1, may have its flow from reservoir 2'! controlled by a valve 28 for flow by hose 29 to one or more of the pads 26. The flexible line or hose 29 responds to the adjusted positions for the pads 26.

The travel rate for the object 2 as clearing the last plunger [5 along the section I I, may be such as to impel the object freely to move up the way 30 for gravity roll therefrom down the way 3|. To insure this course, higher speed drive from a belt 32 to a belt 33 may promote this transfer. Simultaneously, should there be some residue clinging to the belt 1, which the belt 1 does not discharge into chute 34, a valve 35, may be opened to have jet or spray 36, say of peel oil, to at least {partially clear the belt 1 of fines from the Iabrader treatment, and such fines 31 be thereby collected by way of the chute 34.

A valve 38 may be adjusted to control sprays or jets 39 along the way 3| for washing, as with Water, especially should air blast be not deemed sufiicient.

The objects 2 as passing the washing treatment, may roll by a way 40 into a hammer mill 4| driven by a belt 42. The discharge from the hammer mill 41 is thru screen 43 to land on a parallel cable or multiple strand conveyor 44. The fines or pulp body 45 may be moved along by the conveyor 44, while juice or liquid portions 46 may drain thru the conveyor 44 and pass to receiver or tank 41.

Roller or anti-friction support 48 is provided for the reach of the conveyor 44 as merging to- Ward opposing endless cable or belt 49, which has anti-friction means or rollers 50 for its under reach as adapted for squeeze action in, transit toward yieldable adjustable bearing Driving belt 52 for the plural strand parallel cable belt 44, is effective to express the liquid or juices therefrom, for such to flow by trough 53 to the tank 41. The converged or squeeze end portion of the opposing reaches of the belts 44,49, delivers a sheet or strip 54 of the compacted fines or pulp from the sub-divider or mill 4! The squeezed mass or strip 54, may be treated for still further moisture or valporizable matter removal, 'by transit in this continuous process, to a kiln or dryer 55 having a conveyor 55 to promote travel therethru. A belt 5'! drives a blower 58 to draw in hot air by .a duct 59 and deliver by a duct 80 into the tunnel kiln or dryer 55. A belt 6| for actuating the conveyor 55, has a belt drive 52 therefrom to actuate toothed wheel pair 63, between which the dried and more hard strip 54 in its discharge from the kiln 55, may undergo .a desired sub-division or breaking up into fragments 64 to pass by a chute 65 for storage, bagging, or such disposal as may be in order. Depending upon the character of objects or fruit used, this body 6 2 may be suitable for a fertilizer, for stock food, or even for human consumption.

While the peel or rind remover or abrader is shown as a single file or row device, such may be in multiple to supply the sub-divider or hammer mill 4!. Where the time interval factor seems to require a lag, as for the more thorough treatment of each object 2 in the abrader in order to clear its outer surface from all rind or peel, it seems to be more desirable to duplicate the abrasion-effective reaches H. For capacity of output increase, there may be the desired speed-up for the mill 4! and the juice extractor or squeezer conveyor 44. The temperature of the hot blast, as short of combustion or injury to the product, may be a factor for the drying control range, while another factor may be the length for the tunnel, or the thinness to which the strip 54 is brought in its delivery to the dryer 55.

In applicants device the fruit, such as oranges, may have its peel removed for direct use or for oil extraction therefrom. The fruit body is immediately so handled that a maximum of the fresh juices are gathered, and the values of the body fiber also saved.

"he performance of the equipment hereunder, it is contemplated, to carry on at such speed that there may be some centrifugal force effective at the abrader, especially near the exit portion, to throw off or clear the fines of the rind from the peeled fruit body. The reach II and the opposing channel l2 are cooperating directing guides for the spinning or rolling travel of 4 the object in such timed and controlled embracing relation that there may be approached, if not approximately achieved a removal of the rind. Considerable commercial value resides in this automatic treatment, for as a citrus fruit prodnot, the rind oil or peel oil has industrial or food values in itself; while even small portions of such rind extract effect taste disturbance of fruit body juices to a quite detracting ex-tent. Accordingly, in the disclosure herein, importance under the processing treatment is economically brought about in clearing the rind from the fruit to a sufiicient extent to enhance the juice and other fruit body values residual therefrom: It is to be noted that this source of improved fruit juices and body, is not conducted at an expense, but as an opening for the additional marketable items of rind body and oil products.

The progressive squeeze is desirably conducted to preclude slippage between the converging cables or belt conveyor means. The steepness of the pitch as to the bulk dumped may be g'aged. Furthermore with a gear 66 from the driven conveyor 44, in mesh with a gear '61 to drive the companion or opposing endless belt means 49, the press-effecting multiple cables move in unison to the maximum approach, in this preliminary drying by exuding the juices from the co-mminuted fruit body fiber.

The continuity in the handling hereunder is such that the sequence of treating maintains a high standard of sanitary condition for the Working parts thruout. The speed of transit thru the reating phases is without appreciable pause whereby there may be held in the product the initial fruit freshness, and palatability values.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An a'brading device for derinding citrous fruit, comprising a frame, an endless conveyor belt extending from one end of the frame to the other and having an upper flight and a lower flight, the outer surface of said belt being coated with abrasive material, feed means at one end of the frame to feed fruit to the upper surface of the belt and discharge means at the other end of the frame, means at the ends of the frame to sup-port and move the belt so that its upper flight moves fromthe feed end to the discharge end of the frame, yield-ably mounted arcuate guide means located beneath and in contact with the under surface of the upper flight of the belt between the supporting means to provide for distortion of the abrading surface of the belt int-o trough shape, a transverse section of which is concaved to conform substantially to the con vex surface of the fruit, yieldably mounted retarding members supported by the frame above the upper flight of the belt and extending into urging contact with the fruit on the belt to aid in holding the fruit in abrading relation with the belt surface, but yielding to permit the fruit to be conveyed by said ab-rading surface from the feed end to the'discharge end of the frame. I

2. An abrading device for derinding citrous fruit and the like, said device comprising an endless conveyor having upper and lower reaches, a drive for the conveyor, fruit feeding means to the conveyor and fruit discharge receiving means from the conveyor, said means being spaced from each other by the conveyor upper reach extending therebetween, a frame supporting the conveyor means, and embodying concave guide means including elements co-acting with the conveyor upper reach to form it into atrough concaved to conform substantially to the convex form of the fruit and therewith providing an abrading path, and a succession of spring pressed retarding members mounted along the path on the frame for yieldably opposing movement of the fruit with the conveyor upper reach to an extent for the travel of the fruit to be delayed relatively to the reach sufficiently for effecting abrading action to :be distnib uted about the traveling fruit.

CLARENCE M. MCDOWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 15 Number Great Britain Dec. 14, 1934: 

